Musical instruments such as electric and bass guitars are made of wood. Solid wood is commonly used, as wood produces a good sound. Plywood has also been used, because of its strength. In plywood, layers of wood are glued together, with the grain angles alternating between a 0° orientation and a 90° orientation. An instrument of plywood, however, produces an inferior sound. Prior art composite neck structures for electric guitars are known that employ vertically oriented veneers in order to provide stiffness for resisting string tension.